New Nashville restaurants: Hi-fi Japanese tea room, Spanish tapas, acclaimed Ocean Prime and more

The advent of the fall season means a new crop of Nashville restaurant concepts designed to charm and surprise you.

Several unique concepts opened in September, including a handful of restaurant brands imported from cities like New York and Atlanta.

Here's the rundown of new restaurants to know, plus a few that have closed and a few bonus offerings set to open around the corner.

Openings

Evelyn's opens at Hutton Hotel in midtown

The American restaurant opened in September on West End Avenue in the Hutton Hotel. It is named for Evelyn Sharp, a 20th century hotelier, investor, socialite and art collector.

"Evelyn's anchors the property from a food and beverage standpoint," said Seán Carney, the hotel's general manager. "It's a social gathering place and homage to Evelyn Sharp."

Guests can expect an elevated yet approachable seasonal menu reminiscent of a dinner party in the home of a favorite hostess.

But that's just one option for a culinary night out.

Visit The Iberian Pig for happy hour with traditional tapas

A Spanish-inspired tapas restaurant with two Georgia locations is now open in Nashville's The Gulch neighborhood.

The Iberian Pig features an eclectic and social atmosphere with traditional Spanish charcutería and small plates. Pre-existing menu favorites include bacon-wrapped dates and pork cheek tacos, while Nashville-inspired menu items include Burrata Con Jamón with grilled sourdough; Piquillo Relleno with queso de cabra, medjool date; and dukkah and Risotto with pork cheeks.

The restaurant also boasts its own "jamón happy hour," daily from 4-6 p.m. with charcuterie board specials and $5 drinks.

Fifteen new airport restaurants on tap

Voodoo Doughnut, Kitty Hawk Eat + Drink and The Titan's Press Box are all open at Nashville International Airport as of Sept. 27. The openings coincided with the unveiling of BNA's International Arrivals Facility and a mall-like marketplace with a total of 15 new concessions.

The three Strategic Hospitality restaurants are part of the group behind Bastion, The Catbird Seat, Locust, Merchants, The Patterson House and Kisser.

Other new airport eateries are fast-casual Kitty Hawk restaurant and Hattie B's Hot Chicken.

"These innovative concepts offer more ways for passengers to experience all that Nashville and Tennessee have to offer," said Matt Jennings, vice president of airport concessions operator Fraport Tennessee. "Many also feature live music and retail offerings,"

Frankies 925 Spuntino opens

A beloved New York restaurant has opened a Nashville outpost, offering homemade, classic Italian food in a cozy yet elegant East Nashville space.

Frankies 925 Spuntino is part of a rapidly-growing expansion for the business led by Frank Castronovo, Frank Falcinelli and Nashville operating partner John Burns Paterson. Frankies Pizzeria is already open — the trio wants to construct a small market across the street to sell espresso, fresh pasta, Frankies-brand olive oil, salumi and other Italian staples.

Closings

Two restaurants inside Hunters Station closed recently in East Nashville.

Picnic Tap and Aurora Taco are no longer in business at the food hall. Picnic Tap was an original Hunters Station business and also operates a location at the Nashville Farmers Market on Rosa L Parks Boulevard.

Hunters Station is owned by Fresh Hospitality.

Other restaurant news to know

Ocean Prime coming to Nashville Yards in 2025

Southwest Value Partners and AEG, co-developers of the Nashville Yards’ creative office and music venue in the Gulch, announced they have entered into a partnership with Cameron Mitchell Restaurants to open Ocean Prime in the new neighborhood.

They anticipate opening their doors in summer 2025 to the award-winning nationwide restauranteur.

“We have been searching for the perfect location in Nashville for more than a decade,” said Cameron Mitchell, the hospitality group's founder and CEO. “We look forward to our first venture in this great city and we are excited to bring Ocean Prime to the Nashville Yards project.”

Tex-mex franchise expanding to Nashville

A Tampa-based tex-mex franchise called Capital Tacos will expand to Nashville, according to a news release from the company.

Since launching as a franchise in 2022, the fast-casual restaurant has expanded to Atlanta, Charlotte, Denver and Tulsa. It is unclear when the restaurant will open.

Bar Continental launches vinyl listening bar

Sean Brock relaunched The Continental as Bar Continental on Oct. 1 in the Grand Hyatt Hotel at Nashville Yards. High-end audio equipment provides upscale listening experiences in a restaurant styled like a Japanese tea room.

“As one of my favorite projects of my career, I couldn’t be more excited to bring Bar Continental to Nashville," Brock said. "It combines my loves of music, food, and audiophile-obsessed Japanese culture with Nashville’s rich history and appreciation for music. Visiting Bar Continental is like attending a concert, you feel the music – its transcendent, similar to an experience on Lower Broadway, and my hope is that Bar Continental will bring that same kind of memories to this side of Broadway, with excellent service, food and drink in mind.”

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Spanish tapas, fresh airport eats: New Nashville restaurants to know